The melding of styles is so subtle, so sublimely executed that at first blush, you’re likely to miss the architectural and interior design nuances of this beachside farmhouse. The custom home in Dana Point’s gated community The Strand was designed by Laguna Beach architect Bob White in collaboration with interior designer Wendi Young, whose eponymous firm is based in Newport Beach. The floorplan is arranged in two sections around a central courtyard.
There’s also a sense of cheeky whimsy throughout. The most obvious example – and the one that gets conversation flowing like fine wine – is the six-foot-wide, hand-crafted glass octopus chandelier by Mason Parker of Mason’s Creations in the kitchen that looks as though it’s swimming in the clerestory. A humble country sink, a monolithic waterfall-style white marble island and wire-brushed oak cabinets – glazed over the stain to convey age – cohabitate in splendid harmony with the piece. Industrial-style glass doors open to the courtyard.
Designed to capture the glorious California sunshine, an oversized glass and steel pivot door brings light into the front entry. The board and batten paneling, painted a crisp contemporary white, imparts a vintage farmhouse feel, giving it a VIP welcome. The flooring throughout the house is wide plank white French oak, which has a prominent grain.
“THE PIECES WE SELECTED, SOME FROM LOCAL ANTIQUE SHOPS, REFLECT THE PERSONALITY OF THE OWNERS, WHO HAVE A GREAT SENSE OF HUMOR – THEY DON’T TAKE LIFE TOO SERIOUSLY,” YOUNG CONTENDS. “EVERYTHING SELECTED HAS AGE AND CONVEYS TIMEWORN LOVE.”
The farmhouse/seaside feel is keenly felt in the wife’s office, which is an attached cottagelike wooden and windowed structure overlooking the internal courtyard. The space, entered through a simple wooden Dutch door that is at once rustic and sophisticated, is appointed with an antique desk and a new slender wingback chair upholstered in brushed linen. The window shades trimmed with perky ball fringe and the ceiling are glorious shades of seashell pink, a personal fave of the homeowner.
Photography by Karyn Millet.
For more like this custom home, be sure to check out this chill “surf shack” in Dallas, TX.
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